Landlord Discontinued Community Room

Tenants complained of a reduction in building-wide services based on landlord's discontinuance of the building's community room. The DRA ruled for tenants and reduced their rents. Landlord appealed and lost. Landlord claimed that the DRA's decision contradicted a prior DHCR order that denied tenants' complaint of no access to the community room. Landlord also claimed that tenants had abandoned the community room for over 15 years. But the DHCR's prior decision concerning the reduction of a number of building-wide services made no mention of the community room. There also was no proof that tenants had abandoned the community room. The building had previously been subject to Mitchell-Lama, and services provided on the rent-stabilization base date, including the community room, must continue to be provided by landlord. Landlord had improperly closed the community room, renovated it, and rented it to a school.

Highbridge House Ogden, LLC: DHCR Adm. Rev. Docket No. ZI630017RO (10/19/12) [4-pg. doc.]